


Catella

by eorumverba



Series: puppy au [1]
Category: SHINee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-14
Updated: 2016-11-14
Packaged: 2018-08-30 21:32:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8549851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eorumverba/pseuds/eorumverba
Summary: He’s talking to Kibum on the phone; his best friend is at home recovering from a fading flu with Disney movies and soup. Jonghyun is working his side job at the ice cream shop with Taemin, and since there are no customers for now, Jonghyun’s decided to check up on Kibum. And they’re talking like usual, Taemin is teasing them that they’re dating like usual, everything is just. Normal.Until Kibum suddenly shrieks and the line goes dead. And Jonghyun can’t tell if it’s the “I just saw something cute” shriek or the “I saw a spider, kill it” shriek or the “I just got scared shitless” shriek because honestly, they all sound the same.





	

Jonghyun is worried.

He’s talking to Kibum on the phone; his best friend is at home recovering from a fading flu with Disney movies and soup. Jonghyun is working his side job at the ice cream shop with Taemin, and since there are no customers for now, Jonghyun’s decided to check up on Kibum. And they’re talking like usual, Taemin is teasing them that they’re dating like usual, everything is just. Normal.

Until Kibum suddenly shrieks and the line goes dead. And Jonghyun can’t tell if it’s the “I just saw something cute” shriek or the “I saw a spider, _kill it_ ” shriek or the “I just got scared shitless” shriek because honestly, they all sound the same.

He wouldn’t be that worried (this has happened before) except that Kibum doesn’t pick up after that, so. Kind of worried.

Taemin assures him though that Kibum is fine, that he probably just saw a bug and is hiding in his room. Or something. But he’s definitely fine, it’s _Kibum_.

Before Jonghyun can call back, customers start coming in and Taemin gives a bright smile - all innocent flower boy aesthetic, the cheating fuck - and their competition to get more customers is back on.

Jonghyun quickly forgets about Kibum.

He remembers, though, when he calls to see if Kibum wants him to bring back some ice cream, and he again receives no answer.

This time, Taemin only rolls his eyes and asks why Jonghyun is so damn worried, it’s not like they’re dating or anything.

And all Jonghyun can think is that yeah, that’s true.

He drives home with the radio off, if only to hear himself think. He thinks about Kibum and Taemin and himself, really, thinks about the too-obvious crush Jinki has on Taemin and how crushed he’ll be when he finds out that Taemin is aro.

(And the story of that is ironic; Jonghyun and Taemin had known each other since they were in middle school, had progressed from friends to borderline more, and Jonghyun thought he’d read all the signs right - the thighs always touching, the hand on the thigh, the leaning into each other, all the skinship they’d had together. Until Jonghyun had asked him out that one time when they were high and Taemin told him that “it’s not your fault, I want a relationship, but I just don’t feel attracted to people, you know?”

He looked all kinds of relieved when Jonghyun said he was ace.

But anyway)

Jonghyun gets home and Kibum’s car is in the driveway and the door is locked, so he goes inside warily, grabbing Kibum’s umbrella from the stand they’d bought a while ago and never really used.

He hears quiet noises coming from the living room and nearly drops the umbrella when he rounds the corner.

Because there’s Kibum on the floor, half buried by balls of fluff curled around him.

One of the dogs perks its head up at Jonghyun’s disbelieving snort and jumps up, nearly stepping on one of the other ones as it trots over to Jonghyun, begging to be petted.

“Why are there four dogs in our house? We don’t _own_ four dogs. We don’t even own _one_.”

Kibum looks over and is promptly licked by the gray dog. “Because I saw them and I wanted them and they’re so _cute_ , Jjong!”

“Where?”

“They were sniffing around our backyard, so I opened the back door and they came in and I gave them some of Taemin’s dog’s food, and they’re so _precious_ -” Kibum pauses abruptly and gives Jonghyun a Look, “we’re keeping them.”

“Only if we name that one-”

“Nope,” Kibum points to the tan, black, white and gray puppies in order, “Kkomde, Garcons, Maison and Kitsune.”

“Did you really name them after fashion lines, Kibum, you,” Jonghyun breaks off with a laugh and lays next to his best friend, “god, I love you.”

Instead of laughing, like Jonghyun expects him to, Kibum stills, not even picking up Garcons when the dog sniffs at him.

“You,” Kibum sits up, gaze unusually serious, “love me?”

“Yeah,” Jonghyun doesn’t look back up at Kibum, too occupied with a squirming Maison in his lap and Kkomde and Kitsune on either side, all nuzzling him, begging to be petted, “you’re my best friend, of course I love you.”

Kibum doesn’t say anything, and when Jonghyun glances up, he realizes that the look in Kibum’s eye is one he’s only ever seen once before, and that was when his grandmother had died.

Kibum looks vulnerable.

“Kibum,” Jonghyun tries, and Kibum looks away, “Kibum, _Kibummie_ , _Key_ ”

At the drop of his high school nicknames, Kibum’s lips twitch up into the beginnings of a smile, but he quickly schools his expression back into a frown, “Go away, Jjong.”

“ _No_ ,” Jonghyun leans into Kibum’s space, pouting up at him as Kibum tries again not to smile, “what’s wrong?”

“You don’t like me,” Kibum says finally, a bit of a pout in his voice, and Jonghyun raises his brows in surprise, nuzzling into Kibum’s neck just because he knows Kibum is ticklish there.

“I do like you, you’re my best friend, remember?”

The tickling induced smile drops from Kibum’s lips almost immediately, and he nudges Jonghyun away as gently as he can, petting Garcons halfheartedly before speaking again. “You don’t like me the way I like you.”

Jonghyun pauses, realizes as Kibum turns away again. “Kibum,” and when Kibum doesn’t respond, “Bummie, turn around. Please?”

Kibum does after a moment, and Jonghyun shoos Garcons away to settle himself in Kibum’s lap, looping his arms around Kibum’s neck as Kibum’s hands fit on his waist, a familiar weight against his skin.

“If you want to, I think we should go on a date. Tomorrow.”

Kibum jerks back in surprise, but Jonghyun continues, “I mean, we’re practically dating anyway, may as well make it official. I mean, what sort of friends do this normally,” he gestures between them, “and all our friends think we’re dating anyway. So?”

Kibum’s finger brushes the familiar, lopsided grin flirting with Jonghyun’s lips before falling to his waist again. “I - what do you feel, though? I don’t want to date you just because you feel bad-”

“You know me best, Kibummie, would I do something like that?”

Even as Kibum shakes his head, Jonghyun continues, “You know everything about me, you’ve been with me through everything, even when you were hurting, you’re even my ideal type. I’m stupid to not have seen it sooner.”

“Jonghyun,” Kibum asks slowly, “can I kiss you?”

For some reason, the words don’t make Jonghyun feel nauseous, and he nods, capturing his lower lip with his teeth anxiously. Just when Kibum’s hand had brushes its way from Jonghyun’s cheek down to his neck and when they’re _this_ close to kissing, the dogs wiggle their way in between them, annoyed at being left out. Jonghyun rolls away from Kibum and Kkomde and Maison pounce on him, eager to be coddled; and when Jonghyun turns around, he sees Kibum with his arms full of puppy. Their eyes meet and Jonghyun grins over at Kibum with an accompanying wink, watching the way Kibum ducks his head with that flustered smile.

He decides that keeping the puppies and dating Kibum will make their little home a lot more interesting.


End file.
